Preheating humidifier



June .30, 1925. L543J32 J. H. STALEY PREHEATING HUMIDIFIER Filed Dec. e,1924 Patented Junev 30, 1925. y i rUl\lli'l'l:`. l)'STATES PATENTOFFICE.

'I'OSEIPI-I E. STALEY, OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA.

Application filed December 6, 1924. Serial No. 754,276.

To all whom t may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. STALEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county. of Bartholomew and State ofIndiana, have 'invented new` and useful Improvements in PreheatingHumidifiers, of which the following is a specification.

It was determined experimentally many years ago, -that the introductionof steam directly into the cylinder of a hot-tube ignited kerosene motorproduced a vastly more smoothlyrunning motor with the entire eliminationof the theretofore customary knock or pound. Similarly, yit has beenobserved in the more-refined type of gasoline burning motors employedto-day that much better operation is secured both at night in thepresence of thedamper air and on damp or rainy days.

Realizing the effect of water vapor upon the operation'of the motor,'many inventors have sought to devise means whereby such vapor canreadily and-suitably be introduced to meet all requirements,'butit isevident from the new work appearingfrom time to time that the entirely`successful operation of such means has not been attained heretofore. y

. My invention comprises means of taking vapor from the top of the usualradiator for cooling the engine-jacket water and thoroughlyincorporating this vapor in a mixing chamber with the entire inrushingair going through the carburetor, in the presence of heated walls, andat the same time drawing the heated gases present in the crankcase intothis mixing chamber for passage back into the motor cylinder. Myinvention not only provides for the carburetor intake air taking up themaximum possible va or but at the same time provides for t e preheatingof such air with a control means for decreasing the heat during themotor operation in excessively hot weather so as to avoidv` loss ofpower. My device is exceedingly simple, eliminates the usual carburetorair-intake stove on the exhaust manifold, is effective under alloperating conditions, providing quick heating means for warming the`intake-air in'cold weather starting, avoids floodin and choking themotor by radiator boi ing as encountered in the usual humidifyingdevice, and can readily be applied to any motor at a very reasonablecost.

I accomplish these and such other objects asmay become apparent in thefollowing description, by the means as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a right kside elevation of a motor showingin economizing humidifier applied thereto an the upper portion of aradiator in connection therewith; Fig. 2, an enlarged plan view of thehumidifier with fragments of the exhaust manifold and the thereinentering interceptor tube removed; Fig. 3

a front vertical elevation of the humidifier with a vertical sect-iontaken through the exhaust manifold and the interceptor. tube on the'line 3.--3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4,

a further enlarged vertical section through he lumidier taken on theline 4 4 of Like characters of reference indicate like .intake manifold11. An outer chamber is formed to enclosethe member 5 by engaging the=upper end of the cylindrical housing 12 againstA the annular shoulderabout the outer circumferential edge of the cover late7 and theresecuring the housing 12 y a base plate 13 similarly formed with anannular shoulder as the cover plate 7 to enga've the lower endr of thehousin '12, as the tbase plate 13 is screW-threa edly Engaged about thelower end of the mem- A backwardly turned L 14 is formed on the underside of the base plate 13 and its internal passage is restricted as thepassage discharges into the ellpsoidal member 5,

ro'ducing in effect a Venturiv tube. The interceptor tube 15 isscrew-threadedly en gaged by one end in the housing l2 and has itsextending length jslightly reduced in diameter to permit the tube to bescrewthreadedly engaged in the exhaust manifold 22 so as to have theouter end'further project-ing intothe manifold substantially across 'thetube 15,"fexhaust Vgas of to' the opposite wall of the manifold. lThisprojecting end of the interceptor tube 15 1s cupped, and sh'aped toproperly deflect the exhaust gases through the tu e 15 to within thehousing 12 around about the outside of the member 5. The exhaust gas-sodeflected is allowed to'exhaust from wlthin the housing 12 into theexhaust pipe 16 leading from the housin" 12 o n the side opposite andabove or bv ow the interceptor tube 15, (here shownv below), downthrough and dischargin below the motor pan 17.

ferring to Fig. 2, it will be noticed that the'in'terceptor. tube 15 isintroduced into the manifold 22 immediately back of one of the cylinderexhaust rts 23 discharging into the manifold. y so placing thev maximumtemperature is deflected from the manifold directly into the housing 12.A butterfly valve 24 is placed within the tube 15 between the housing 12andthe manifold 22 and is operated b the lever 25 and the connectedcontrol ro 26.l` A vapor conducting tube 18 leads from within theradiator filler neck 19 back and down to a stop cock 20 whichscrew-thread- 'edly engages 1n one of the two passages 21 enterin thelower L 14 from the front side. The ra iator 27 is equipped with thevusual overflow pipe 28. A tube 29 having its lower end assed throughthev breather tube 30 below t e usual screen (not shown) and turneddownto prevent the .entrance of oil or fliei b d h h 29, sc ar s y its'u per/en t roug a stop cockge31 into'thepother of theA two passages 21in the L 14. A nozzle 32 is securely fitted in each ofthe passages 21 soas to extend inwardly within `the L and is turned upward to .terminateiits discharge orifice centrally within themost 4'restricted portion ofthe passage through the L 14 'into the member as in Fig. 4 where in thesection but one nozzle 32 shows.

. Thoufgh not absolutely essential to the success ul operation ofmy'device, it may be of some benefit to emplo the carburetor by-passstop cock 33, screw-t readedly entering the top L 8, andtube 34discharging from the sto -cock 33 directly into the intake manifol 11.

Especial attention is drawnto the position of the injecting nozzle 32 inthat by so locatlng it, such water as may be drawn over through the tube18, as may happen when' the radiator is boilin upwardly in the ra overrough roads, through the L 14 along the wall A screen 35 is placed overthe ing of the L 14 to foreign objects.

The operation of my preheating lhumidifier iator in driving a. car willdrain down and out and can not be conducted intake openprevent drawingin o f y objects entering the breather tube such gases or the water 1sthrown over into the carburetor.

is simple and involves no moving parts other thanthe setting of the stopcocks and the heat controlling butterfly valve 24. As the motor iscranked)apartial vacuum is produced in its intake manifold 11 therebyproducing an in-rush of atmospheric air into the lower L 14, through therestricted passage, and into the mixing chamber 5, and by so is producedin that restricted area at the terminating ends of the nozzles 32.. Thisvacuum causes an in-rush of air through the tube 18 from the topdf theradiator above the surface of the water, thereby drawing oil' ,the vaporthere present and injecting it through the nozzle 32 into the chamber 5.The stop cock 20 may be so adjusted as to givethe desired quantity ofvapor as demanded. Similarly air is drawn through the tube 29 from t ecrankcase bringing the gases there contained and injectin them throughthe other nozzle 32 intentie mixing chamber 5. -By lvirtue of the shapeof the chamber 5 andV the nature of its inlet .and outlet passages,considerable turbulence of the gases, vapor, and air is created so as toobtain a completelv mixed resultant product. By opening the butterflyvalve 24 the exhaust gas-passes into the housing 12 around the fins 6and out the pipe 16such that the wall of the mixing chamber member 5 isbrought to an exceedingly' high temperature such that the containedgaseous mixture is heated.

With the continued production of the partial vacuum in the manifold 11,the mixture rushes from the chamber 5 through the L 8,A the pipe 9, thecarburetor 10 where the gasoline is taken up and on into the intakemanifold 11 and from there to the cylinders in the usual manner. It willbe noted that the stop cock 31 may be shut 0H to prevent the flow ofgases from the crank case or the entire tube 29 to the breather pipe 30ma be omitted if desired, since o not affect the vapor sup ly but areonl utilized to ell'ect a fu lier economy in t e motor operation.

Having fully described my invention in the form now best known to me,thou h it obviously may be varied in structiona details without departinfrom the spirit of the invention, what 1g claim as new and desire `tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a hydrocarbon motor havin a crank-case, aradiator, an exhaust manlfold, and a carburetor air-intak'e pipe,\of anauxiliary mixing chamber throu h which all of the air passes that enters t e carburetor, said mixing chamber discharging into said intakepipe, and said auxiliary mixin chamber having an intake paage to orm aVenturi tube in conjunction with said mixing chambpigpeeA doing thegreatest vacuum tor air-intake pipe, of'an auxiliary mixing chamberdischarging into said carburetor air-intake ipe such -that all airpassing through t e motor carburetor passes through said chamber; anintake L on tie intake end of said auxiliary mixing chamber havingitsdischarge o ening into said mixchamber restric ,in said radiator; andmeans of heating sai mixing chamber.

3. In a-hydrocarbonmotor, the combinationV with water vapor supplyingmeans, an

exhaust manifold, and a carburetor air-intake pipe, of an auxiliarymixing chamber discharging into said carburetor air-intake i' pipe suchthat all air passing through tion with water vapor supplying means, an

the motor carburetor passes through said chamber, the intake end of saidauxiliarymixing chamber havin its dischargeopen- `ing into said mixin ycamber restricted to form a Venturi tu in conjunction with said chamber;a pipe discharging into the intake of said mixing chamber, said pipeentering by its other end said water vapor supplying means and havingits intake above the normal water line in said means; a housingsurrounding saidn mixing chamber; a conduit conductin exhaust gases fromsaid exhaust manifold kinto said housing; and a discharge pipe from saidhousing, said discharge pipe leaving said housin at a point staggeredand not opposite the in et of said conduit.

4. Iii'a hydrocarbon motor, the combinaexhaust manifold, and acarburetor air-intake pipe, of an auxiliary mixing chamber discharginginto said carburetor air-intake pipe such that all air passing throughthe motor carburetor passes through said chamber, said auxiliary mixingchamber having its intake passa restricted to form a Venturi tube in conunction with said chamber; a pipe discharging into said intake paage atits most restricted section, said pipe enterin by its other end saidwater vapor supp ying mea-ns; a housing surrounding said mixing'chamber; an interceptor tube .discharging within said Ihousing andenftering said exhaust manifold and extendin substantially across to theopposite wa within said manifold, said interceptor tube being insertedin said manifold at a point ing to form a Venturi tu e in conjunctionwith said chamber; a.

immediately back of a port discharging from said motor into saidmanifold, and

said interceptor tube having its rojecting end cupped and scoop-shapedto eiect the gases entering said manifold through said tube to withinsaid housing; a discharge pipe from said housing; and means cooperatingwith said interceptor tube of controlling the flow of exhaust gases intosaid housing.

5. In (a hydrocarbon motor, the combination with water vapor supplyingmeans, an -exhaust manifold, and a carburetor air-intake pipe, of anauxiliary mixing chamber discharging into said carburetor air-intakepipe such that all air entering the motor carburetor passes through saidmixing chamber,.said auxiliary' mixing chamber having its intake passageinto said mixing chamber restricted to form a Venturi tube in conjunction with .said chamber, nozzles fixed in said intake passage to havetheir discharge ends projecting into, the most restricted section of thepassage; vapor conducting pipes discharging into said nozzles conductingvapor from the said water vapor supplying means and vapor from thecrankcase of sai motor; stop-cocks in said conducting pipes; and meanscooperating with said exhaust manifold of heat-ing said mixing chamber.

6. 'In a hydrocarbon motor, the combination with a radiator, an exhaustmanifold; an intake manifold, and a carburetor air-take pipe, of anauxiliary mixingauxiliary mixing chamber having its discharge openinginto said mixing chamber restricted to form a Venturi tube inconjunction with saidchamber; a pipe discharging into said -intakemember at the most restricted section, said pipe entering by its -otherend said radiator and having its intake above the normal water line insaid radiator; means cooperating with said exhaust manifold of heatingsaid mixing chamber; and carburetor by-pass means for passing a portionof the products discharging from said mixing chamber directly into lsaidintake manifold.

7. In a hydrocarbon motor, the combination with aI radiator, an exhaustmanifold an intake manifold, and a carburetor air-intake pipe, of anauxiliary mixing chamber discharging into said carburetor air-intakepipe such that all air passing through the carburetor is drawn throughsaid chamber; an intake member of said auxiliary mixing chamber havingits discharge opening 'nto said mixin chamber restricted to form aVenturi tu e in con-V junction with said chamber; a water vapor -of thec amber within the charging into said intake member; a crank case vaporpipe leading from the crankcase of the'motor and discharging into saidintake member; meanspcooperating with said exhaust manifold of heatingsaidmixing chamber; and carburetor by-pass means discharging from thedischarge of, said mixing chamber into said intake manifold.

8. A humidifier comprisin a mixing chamber having a dischargingq'ahousing surrounding said chamber; a housing-cover plate carried betweenthe discharging. L and the chamber; annular radiating fins projectinoutwardly from the outer side housing; an intake end housing cover.plate engaging the intake end of'said chamber; an intake L in saidintake end cover plate, said intake L having its intake openingsubstantially of the same area as that of the said discharging L, andsaid intake L having its internal passage restricted vfrom said intake.exhaust manifold cupp opening to its discharge into said mixingchamber; a screen over the end of said in-l take L intake opening; anozzle in said passage terminating in its most restricted passage area.;a tube adapted to be fitted by its intake end into a radiator to takevapor from above the radiator water and' discharge into said nozzle; acontrol valve in said tube; an interceptor tube engaged by one end inthe wall of said housing and ada ted to be inserted through and engagedin t-lie wall of an exhaust manifold of a motor, said interceptor tubehaving an end to roject `wit-hin the and scoop-shaped to deiect theexhaust gases through the tube into the said housing; a valve in saidinterceptor tube; and a discharge pipe from said housing. v

Signed at Columbus, county of lBartholomew, State pf Indiana, this the3rd day of Dec. 1924.

JOSEPH H. STALEY.

